Is a Norfolk County address in a regulated flood area, and whose map says so?

The Long Point Region Conservation Authority names Delhi, Waterford, Simcoe and Port Dover among the major communities of its watershed, which is drained by more than 30 creeks and takes in about 200 km of Lake Erie shoreline. Its Regulated Area Mapping Tool shows regulated areas across the watershed; the authority says the mapping is approximate and the regulation is text-based, so land that meets the definition is regulated whether or not it is on the map, and it lists engineered flood and erosion hazard studies along the Lake Erie shoreline in Norfolk and Haldimand Counties among the changes in its latest mapping update. The Grand River Conservation Authority's Map Your Property tool also lists Norfolk among its municipalities. The County's zoning adds its own layer: section 3.15 of By-law 1-Z-2014 sets minimum distances inland from the top of bank for buildings along parts of the Lake Erie shore.

The Long Point Region authority says its permit does not replace building permits or other permits issued through municipal offices, and the Grand River authority says its permit is in addition to a building permit. A regulated-area result governs permits; it is not a forecast that a home will flood, and a home outside the mapped area can still take water through a basement. Under the Conservation Authorities Act as amended in 2026, the Long Point Region authority and the Grand River authority are to join the Eastern Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority on 1 February 2027 or a later date set by regulation.

• LPRCA: about: the Long Point Region watershed and its communities in Norfolk County
• LPRCA: regulated area mapping: the authority's online mapping tool and its latest update
• LPRCA: regulation permits: when a permit is needed under Ontario Regulation 41/24, and how to apply
• GRCA Map Your Property: the Grand River Conservation Authority's map of its regulated area, by municipality
• Zoning By-law 1-Z-2014: section 3.15, Lakeshore, Erosion Prone Area Provisions (PDF)
• Bill 97, Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026: Schedule 3 amends the Conservation Authorities Act; the transition date is 1 February 2027 or a later date set by regulation
• Regional conservation authority boundaries (ERO 025-1257): the Province's decision of 10 March 2026 on which authority joins which of the nine regional authorities
• Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits, the regulation behind every conservation authority's regulated area

Conservation-authority regulated-area and flood plain checks are not currently included in our reports, so for a Norfolk County home the authority's own map is the place to look. The full report's water and flooding group does cover past floods seen by satellite, nearby creeks, rivers and ponds, and mapped wetlands for any Norfolk County address.

What we cover, city by city See the sample report